The 1st Central Park Zoo Independence Day Concert
by Colonel Arbuckle
Summary: The animals of the Central Park Zoo put on a patriotic concert for the animals of Central Park with a little SkipperxMarlene thrown in for good measure. Sorry it's so long, but yes, it's a oneshot.


Author's Note: After watching "The All-Nighter Before Christmas," I decided the animals should do something similar, but for Independence Day. However, instead of an all-out party for the animals of Central Park, they will be holding a concert of patriotic songs instead. When you get to the concert itself, I highly encourage you to listen to each song as you read them. It really does make it far more powerful and real. I wish to apologize in advance to anyone who might be offended by the idea of Rico (with his speech impediment) singing the Marine Hymn. I have the utmost respect for the Marine Corps and all the heroes who have served our great country. The Air Force is best, but I won't get into that argument. The Penguins of Madagascar, Garfield and Friends, Mythbusters, Top Shot, Balto, Deadliest Catch, After the Catch, the Star-Spangled Banner, Lord, Guard and Guide, Eternal Father, Strong to Save, Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Army Goes Rolling Along, Anchors Aweigh, the Marine Hymn, Semper Paratus, The U.S. Air Force, American Soldier, Have You Forgotten, Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue, God Bless America, My Country, 'Tis of Thee, Yankee Doodle Boy, and America, the Beautiful belong to their respective owners. I own nothing but the plot. That being said, please enjoy the First Annual Central Park Zoo Independence Day Concert. Oh, and Happy Fourth of July!

**The Zoovenir Shop, 24 June 2012, 2225 hours**

All the zoo animals were gathered for their weekly meeting. Skipper was standing on the floor conducting the meeting, the other three penguins at his side.

"…And that brings us to our last item of business this evening," Skipper said. "Kidsmas has been a long standing tradition at this zoo for many years, and I think it's high time we expand the concept to other holidays."

"Like what?" Marlene asked.

"Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is coming up in a week and a half," replied Kowalski, "This particular holiday is typically celebrated with fireworks and patriotic concerts."

"We want to put on a smashing concert for the animals of Central Park," explained Private, getting right to the point.

"Uh-huh!" agreed Rico.

"Who would be singing?" Maurice asked.

"We all would," Private continued, "At least, those who want to would sing."

"Ooh! Ooh! I will be singing!" piped up Julien, "I will be da most patriotic-y one out dere, and I will rub all your faces in it!"

"The point is to show your support for the country by singing a patriotic song, not to rub everyone's face in your vocal abilities. Or lack thereof," said Kowalski, the last part under his breath.

"Oh, of course smarty penguin, I was to be misspeaking dere," Julien replied, calming down a bit. "Dose penguins just don't seem to get that everyting is about me," he whispered to Maurice. Maurice just rolled his eyes.

"Now, if there are no more outbursts from the floor…" Skipper paused to make sure there would be none. "…let's put it to a vote. All in favor of the First Annual Central Park Zoo Independence Day Concert, say 'Aye.'"

"Aye!" all the animals shouted at once.

"All opposed?" Skipper looked around. The animals were silent. "The motion is carried. Now that that's out of the way, we should begin making plans immediately. We'll start the concert at 2030 hours sharp. That will give us one hour before the _U.S.S. Intrepid_ fireworks show at 2130 hours. Are there any objections to the time?" Hearing none, Skipper continued, "Next we need to decide who will be the master of ceremonies."

"Oooh! Since I am da king, I am also da master, da chief, and any oder synonym type thingies of king, so I will be da master of da ceremonies!" piped up Julien again.

"Actually Julien, we were thinking of letting Roger do it, since he is our resident expert on world music," Private responded.

"Besides, I thought you wanted to sing in the concert?" Kowalski asked.

"Oh yes, dis is true. Never mind, da alligator can be da master of da ceremonies," Julien answered.

"So, what do you think Roger?" Skipper asked. "It's not Broadway, but it's a start."

"Me? You want me to be the master of ceremonies?" Roger asked excitedly.

"Sure, Roger, we'd love for you to do it. Unless you don't want to." Private replied.

"Want to? I'd love to!" Roger shouted.

"Is anyone opposed to Roger acting as master of ceremonies?" Skipper asked looking around. "No? Well that settles it. Congratulations, Roger, you are officially our emcee. Now we don't have a lot of time to put this together, so I want everyone to let Roger know what you will be singing by COB Wednesday so he can put together the program. We'll start rehearsals in a week. Meeting adjourned."

Roger was instantly swamped with animals pitching their ideas for songs to him before enlisting Phil and Mason to sort everyone out and write everything down.

**Outside the Penguin Habitat, 26 June 2012, 0815 hours**

Skipper was leading the other three penguins on a thirty minute run around the habitat, calling cadence as they ran. He had decided to wake them up a little later than usual for PT since the zoo didn't open until noon that day. They were about half way through the run and were keeping good pace.

"When I say 'seven', you say 'eight'!" Skipper screamed at the top of his lungs.

"When I say 'seven', you say 'eight'!" the other three penguins called in response.

"When I say 'feeling', you say 'great'!"

"When I say 'feeling', you say 'great'!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Red, white!"

"Blue!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"PT!"

"More!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Just for!"

"Kicks!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Feeling!"

"Great!"

"When I say 'nine', you say 'ten'!" Skipper called, starting the next sequence in the cadence.

"When I say 'nine', you say 'ten'!" responded the rest of the team.

"When I say 'do it', you say 'again'!"

"When I say 'do it', you say 'again'!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Red, white!"

"Blue!"

By this time the team was passing by the otter habitat again. Inside, Marlene listened to the cadence as the team ran past. She had been awake for about an hour, but was still lying in bed. She hadn't slept well at all the previous night. The whole day prior, she had been practicing the two songs she had volunteered to sing in the concert, but to her horror, she had had a terrible time attempting to carry a simple tune. Her voice kept breaking and she ran out of breath at just the wrong places. When she had volunteered two nights prior, she hadn't even thought about how well she could sing. She listened as the team ran past her habitat again, Skipper still calling cadence at the top of his lungs. She wished she had the mastery over her voice that Skipper did over his. She didn't know what she was going to do. The two songs she wanted to sing meant everything to her. Finally, Marlene broke down and began to weep bitterly.

**Penguin HQ, 26 June 2012, 0840 hours**

"I want to watch Garfield and Friends!" screamed Private.

"We are watching Mythbusters and that's final!" retorted Kowalski.

"Nuh-uh, Top Shot!" Rico grunted.

The three had been fighting over the remote to the TV for the last five minutes and it was beginning to wear on Skipper. Finally, he had had enough.

"Room, ten-hut!" Skipper called, the other three penguins dropping the remote and snapping to attention. "You boys make me sick. Squabbling for five minutes over a remote control like that. It's pathetic. We have a concert to prepare for! I'll bet you boys haven't practiced at all since last Sunday's meeting. Kowalski, let me hear the first line of your song."

"I'm just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a, um, uhh."

"I thought so. Don't even know the words. This concert has to be flawless people! Do you hear me? FIawless!" Skipper sighed. "I'm going to get a report from our reptilian emcee. I should be back in about fifteen minutes. When I get back, I want to hear some marked improvement out of each of you."

"But, Skippah-" Private attempted to protest.

"No buts. Now get to work!"

With that, Skipper climbed up the ladder and closed the hatch behind him. The other three penguins sulked over to the computer to practice.

**Pathway Between the Penguin and Otter Habitats, 26 June 2012, 0845 hours**

"I just don't know what's gotten into those boys," Skipper muttered to himself as he walked along. "Maybe-" He suddenly stopped short. He looked around, thinking he had heard something. When he couldn't identify the source, he shrugged it off and continued to walk, but stopped when he heard it again. "What the deuce…?" Skipper questioned.

It was at that point that he realized the sound was coming from inside the cave in the otter habitat. And it sounded like crying. Filled with concern, he leapt into the habitat and knocked on the entrance to the cave.

"Marlene?" Skipper asked.

"Go away," Marlene responded through her tears.

"Marlene what's wrong?" Skipper asked as he walked into the cave, ignoring her request for him to leave.

"Nothing you would understand," Marlene replied as she continued to sob.

"Try me," said Skipper as he sat down next to her on her bed.

Marlene, who up until this time had been facing away from Skipper, suddenly turned to face him and began to sob into his chest. The unexpected act unnerved Skipper at first, but he didn't protest. He looked down at her face to see red eyes and wet cheeks, which told him she had been crying for a while.

"Shh, shh," he said as he gently rubbed her back. "Just tell me what the problem is."

"I can't sing!" she immediately responded, sobbing violently into his chest. This confused Skipper, but he waited a few minutes until her sobs turned into soft snivels before he probed further.

"What do you mean you can't sing?" Skipper eventually asked, drying her tears with his flipper.

"I mean I practiced my two songs for the concert all day yesterday and I was terrible! I couldn't carry a tune if my life depended on it."

"So why don't you just tell Roger you don't want to sing in the concert? I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem finding a replacement."

"But I have to sing these two songs!" Marlene insisted.

"I think you'd better start at the beginning," Skipper said, confused.

"Okay," Marlene began, taking a deep breath, "Before I was born, my father lived near Anchorage, Alaska. He had lived there all his life and enjoyed it, but one day he took a nasty fall and broke his leg while scavenging around a housing area. He was quite a ways from his dam and wouldn't have been able to make it back alive. Fortunately for him, a kind man found him, took him back into his house, and nursed him back to health. He later found out the man was an Air Force pilot assigned to the base in Anchorage. Eventually, the airman was going to be reassigned to Arkansas, but he obviously couldn't take my dad with him. So he called the local zoo to see if they would take him. They didn't have any more room for otters, but they were able to send my dad to the Monterey Bay Aquarium where he met my mother and I was born."

"But that still doesn't explain why you need to sing these two songs in the concert," Skipper noted.

"Oh, right, well, while the airman was taking care of my father, he would often sing those two songs to him. They became my dad's favorite songs, and he often sang them to me. I want to sing them for my dad and as a thank you to the airman who saved his life."

"I see," Skipper said, deep in thought.

"But I can't sing them if I can't sing at all!" cried Marlene as she began to tear up again.

"What if I helped you?" Skipper asked.

"What?" Marlene asked as she wiped away a tear.

"What if I helped you practice your songs for the concert?" Skipper asked again.

"You would do that for me?" asked Marlene, a smile beginning to appear on her face.

"Sure. You're a good friend and I can tell this means a lot to you and-"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Skipper!" Marlene cried, hugging him, "You don't know how much this means to me!"

"It's no trouble at all Marlene, I'd be happy to do it. Why don't we meet tonight at 2000 hours at the front gate and we'll go practice in the park," Skipper said as Marlene released him.

"That sounds great Skipper. Wait, 2000 means 7, right?" Marlene asked as Skipper got up to leave.

"Eight, actually," replied Skipper with an amused grin on his face.

"Okay, I'll see you then Skipper."

"Bye, Marlene," Skipper called as he slid out on his belly.

Marlene felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she began to get ready for the day and looked forward to that night.

**Alice's Office, 26 June 2012, 0900 hours**

Maurice was sitting at the computer with Julien looking over his shoulder. They were attempting to find a song to sing in the concert.

"Ooh, click dat one Maurice. Da one dat says Hail to da Chief!" Julien ordered.

"But, your majesty, that song doesn't have any words. It's just a tune that's played when the President of the United States makes an appearance," Maurice replied.

"Maurice, what does dis crown tell you?" Julien asked, pointing to his crown.

"That you're the king," Maurice replied.

"And because I am da king, you have to do what I tell you, right?"

"That's right."

"Den click da stupid link before I break your stupid face!" Julien screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to shout," Maurice retorted as he clicked the link.

As the song finished a minute later, Julien began to tear up.

"Dat is da most beautifulest song I have ever heard," he said, "We must be singing it at da concert."

"But your majesty, how will we sing it if it doesn't have any words?" Maurice asked.

"Mmm, you have a very good point dere Maurice. Very well, we will find anoder song to sing, but we must be making sure dis song is played when I go on stage at da concert. Everyone must know of my power."

"Of course your majesty," Maurice replied as he rolled his eyes at his king's vanity and continued the search.

**The Central Park Balto Statue, 3 July 2012, 2100 hours**

Skipper and Marlene were relaxing at the feet of the statue after their last practice session before the concert.

"You've come a long way in a very short time Marlene. I'm very proud of you," said Skipper.

"Thank you, Skipper. That means a lot to me. I couldn't have done it without your help though," Marlene responded.

"It was no trouble at all. I really enjoyed doing it," Skipper said, unwittingly staring at Marlene.

After a few seconds, Marlene turned to face Skipper. They both immediately looked away when their eyes met. About 20 seconds of awkward silence followed, but to Skipper it felt like an eternity.

"Come on, Skipper, think! Dear God, help me think of something intelligent to say," Skipper thought to himself. "So, this is a nice statue," Skipper said aloud.

"Yes, it is, isn't it," replied Marlene as she looked up at the wolf-dog hybrid frozen in time. A few more seconds of silence passed before Marlene piped up again. "You know, my dad always told me that contrary to popular belief, Balto was never actually neutered and that he had a litter of pups with a Siberian husky. He claimed the neutering story was just a ruse to keep mushers from fighting over an American hero's offspring. It's a crazy theory I know, but-"

"No, no, actually your dad is right," Skipper replied, "I've seen DNA tests from some of the dogs who have run the Iditarod the last few years, and they're definitely direct descendants of Bal-" Skipper stopped himself and winced when he realized what he'd done. "Um, that was actually classified, but I don't suppose it did any harm to confirm a story you'd already heard.

Amused, Marlene gave him a slight grin before looking back out over the park. Skipper silently berated himself for spilling such a secret. "What is the matter with me?" he thought. "I should have caught myself before I did that! What has this woman done to me?" He snuck a glance at Marlene. She really was a beautiful young lady.

"Anyway," Marlene said, turning to face Skipper, "with all the abuse a wolf-dog would have gotten, that husky must have really loved him…" She trailed off as their eyes met.

After a few seconds, they snapped out of their reverie and shook their heads as if to clear the few cobwebs from their minds.

As he stood, Skipper said, "Well, it's getting late. We should probably be heading back."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Marlene quickly agreed.

Skipper immediately jumped down and landed on his feet. As he began to turn to help Marlene down, he heard a "Whoops!" mere milliseconds before a furry weight came crashing down on top of him. When Skipper opened his eyes, he found himself laying on his back with his beak just inches from Marlene's nose.

"Ohmygoodness! I'm so sorry!" Marlene apologized as she quickly got off of him. "I-I slipped as I was getting down." Her cheeks were beat red.

"N-No worries," said Skipper a little flustered. "Accidents happen. Are you all right?" he asked as he brushed himself off.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied quietly as she silently chastised herself for her clumsiness.

"Let's get you home."

**Otter Habitat, 3 July 2012, 2120 hours**

"Thank you for walking me home, Skipper," Marlene said as the two walked toward the entrance to the cave.

"It was my pleasure, Marlene," Skipper replied as they stopped in front of the entrance to the cave and turned to face each other. They stood there for a few seconds before Skipper said, "Well, um, good night."

"Good night," Marlene answered. They stood there for a few more seconds. "Please let him do something," Marlene silently prayed.

"Dear God, please don't let me regret this," Skipper prayed. He began to lean in slowly. Marlene hesitated for a split second, but then began to lean in too. Their lips (well, beak in Skipper's case) met. It was a simple, quick kiss, but a kiss nonetheless. When they broke away, Marlene had the biggest grin on her face that Skipper had ever seen. Skipper smiled as well. After a moment, Skipper asked, "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'd like that," Marlene replied.

"Good night."

"Good night."

After Skipper left, Marlene danced into her cave in ecstasy. "He likes me! He really likes me!" she muttered to herself in amazement. She was going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.

**Penguin HQ, 3 July 2012, 2125 hours**

Skipper silently praised God over and over for his good fortune as he climbed down the ladder to the floor of the HQ. He had the goofiest grin on his face and it didn't take long for the team to notice.

"I take it practice went well tonight, Skippah?" Private asked as he turned away from the TV where the three penguins were watching Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel.

"More than you know," Skipper replied as he poured himself some coffee and sat down next to the other three.

Private turned to Kowalski, who gave Private a silent nod.

"Skippah, could we stay up and watch Aftah the Catch at 2200?" Private asked, turning back to Skipper. Skipper almost never let them stay up to see it, and they usually endured extra PT when they asked him about it when he was in the wrong mood, but Kowalski and Private felt that they would get a good response tonight.

"Of course, Private," Skipper replied.

Kowalski and Private looked at each other again, thinking the same thing. Practice must have gone very well indeed.

**Inside the Central Park Zoo Main Entrance, 4 July 2012, 2025 hours**

The penguins had set up a stage behind the fountain at the entrance to the zoo, with an American flag hanging vertically behind it. The stage was set up so that the zoo entrance would be at the audience's back. A band was playing patriotic music in the background. Several of the animals who would be singing were gathered at the foot of the stage talking.

"So, how are you feeling?" Skipper asked Marlene as she re-adjusted his tri-cornered hat that he would be wearing for his first song for what he felt had been the tenth time that night.

"A little nervous, but I'll be okay," Marlene replied. "I feel a lot better knowing you'll be doing my first song with me."

"Just remember Marlene, we're all behind you, no matter what happens," Private said.

"Uh-huh!" agreed Rico.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it. By the way, where's Kowalski?" Marlene asked.

"Oh, you'll see him a little later," Skipper replied with a mischievous grin.

"He probably was feeling too intimidated at being on da same stage-type-tingy as me!" Julien said as he walked up, Mort and Maurice in tow.

"I'm not intimidated!" Mort shouted as he hugged Julien's feet.

"Well, you should be!" Julien yelled as he kicked Mort away.

"Ringtail!" Skipper groaned as he brought a flipper to his forehead in exasperation.

"Julien, do you remembah what Kowalski said at the meeting a week and a half ago?" Private asked.

"Yes, but it will not matter tonight after you are all seeing my performance," he said as he walked off in a huff.

At that point, the band began to play the 1812 Overture, the signal that the concert was about to start.

"We'd better go find our seats," Marlene said as they moved to do just that.

They listened as the song reached its dramatic climax with the cannon fire in the background. This was Rico's favorite song, the only song ever composed with cannon fire actually written into the sheet music. As the last few notes played, Roger came forward on stage.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the First Annual Central Park Zoo Independence Day Concert!" Roger began. "My name is Roger the Alligator, and I will be your Master of Ceremonies. We have a great show for you tonight, but first, I would like to thank a few people for making this concert possible. First, I'd like to thank the penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private for coming up with this idea in the first place." The crowd applauded. "I'd also like to thank the monkeys Phil and Mason for helping me organize this event." More applause from the crowd. "Now let's get on with the show. Our first selection tonight is, appropriately enough, our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, performed tonight by Skipper the Penguin. But before he sings tonight, I believe he has a few words he would like to share with us. Skipper?"

"Thank you Roger," Skipper began as he accepted the microphone from Roger. "The Star-Spangled Banner. It appears in most hymnals throughout our nation. We sing it in our churches and before automobile races and ball games. But most of us have simply memorized the words and let them roll off the tongue without thinking about what they mean. Tonight, I would like to remind you of the story behind the writing of our national anthem. In early September 1814, the United States was engaged in a second war with Great Britain, the War of 1812. The British had taken many American soldiers and sailors prisoner, and had confined them below decks in vessels of the Royal Navy anchored about 1,000 yards of the coast of Baltimore, in Chesapeake Bay. Some friends of one of the prisoners, a man by the name of Dr. William Beanes, hired a Baltimore lawyer by the name of Francis Scott Key to go out to the British fleet and negotiate for the release of the prisoners. On 13 September 1814, after a week of deliberation, an agreement was reached in which prisoners could be exchanged on a one to one basis. When the decision had been reached, Key went down to the hold of the British flagship and informed the prisoners of the agreement, saying 'tonight you are free.' When Key came back up on deck, the admiral in command of the fleet informed Key that the British would still honor the agreement to exchange prisoners, but that the matter would be academic after tonight. When Key asked why, the admiral explained that unless the Americans surrendered by nightfall, the British fleet of 19 warships and several hundred guns, cannons, and rockets would remove Fort McHenry, a fort outside Baltimore, from the face of the Earth, ensuring a British victory. Key protested this decision, reminding the admiral that the fort was filled with women and children. The admiral was aware of this, but told Key that they had given the fort an ultimatum: if they would lower the huge American flag flying over the fort, the British would know they had surrendered and the shelling would stop immediately. Key went back down into the hold to inform the prisoners of the planned attack and they asked him to keep telling them when the attack started if the flag was still there. At sunset, the Royal Navy opened fire. There were so many cannons firing that you couldn't hear a pause in between shots. The noise was deafening and you had to shout to be heard. Every time a shell exploded and lit up the night sky, Key could see the flag still flying and would inform the prisoners. About three hours into the shelling, the admiral came up to Key and in bewilderment said 'your people are insane.' He asked Key somewhat rhetorically, 'don't they know the situation is impossible?' In response, Key quoted George Washington and explained, 'The thing that sets the American Christian apart from all other people in the world, is that he will die on his feet before he will live on his knees.'" A few "Amens" were heard from the audience. Skipper continued, "The admiral then explained that the flag had already been hit several times and should have come down by now, but because it hadn't, all the guns would now be trained on the flag and flagpole. They fired on the flag for three hours. The noise was relentless. The only noise that could be heard over the cannon fire was the shouting prayer of the prisoners: 'God, keep that flag flying where we last saw it.' At sunrise, the flag was in shreds and the pole was at an odd angle, but it was still flying." A few cheers and brief applause came from the crowd. "When Key went ashore, he went immediately to Fort McHenry. When he got there, he discovered that the flag had almost fallen several times, but when it did, soldiers ran over and held it up with their bare hands, knowing full well that all the British guns were trained on that flag. When they were killed the bodies were removed and others took their place. Patriot bodies held that flag up. The price of freedom that night was paid for with patriot blood. After seeing this, Key was inspired to write what we know today as the Star-Spangled Banner." As Skipper looked over the crowd he saw tears in many eyes. He paused for a few seconds as he adjusted his tri-cornered hat, swallowed hard to force back the tears, and began to sing as the crowd stood to their feet.

"O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say, does that Star-spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Cheers and applause began to rise out of the crowd before Skipper cut them off with the final verse, the band now beginning to play.

"O thus be it ever when free men shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation; Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that has made and preserved us a nation." The snare drums began to play and the horns blared. "Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto," Skipper pointed his flipper into the sky as the crowd practically screamed the next line. "'In God is our trust!'" Skipper grinned as he lowered his flipper. The faint noise of a propeller began to grow in the distance. "And the Star-spangled Banner in triumph shall waaave O'er the land of the freeeeeee," Skipper paused as Kowalski suddenly came screaming over at full throttle in one of the penguins' bi-planes, repainted in the colors of a WWI era U.S. fighter, trailing red white, and blue smoke out of the tail. The crowd roared at the sight. "and the home of theeee braaaaaaaaave!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, and began to chant, "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!" Skipper bowed and replaced the microphone on its stand before walking off stage.

"Thank you, Skipper!" Roger began as he walked back up to the microphone and the crowd began to quiet down. "I think that was without a doubt, the most powerful rendition of our national anthem I have ever heard! What do you think?" he asked the audience. The crowd roared in agreement. "Well, at this concert it is altogether fitting that we honor the great military that has secured our freedoms and the God that has blessed and protected our troops through the trials of war. Since the first Minutemen fought for independence in the late 1700s, many of our troops have trusted in and prayed to God to guide them through the horrors of combat. By the early 1900s, the three main branches of service, the Air Force, Navy, and Army, had each unofficially adopted a hymn appropriate for their specific branch for their airmen, sailors, marines, coastguardsmen, and soldiers to sing and to give them comfort, knowing that God was with them always. Tonight, performing these three hymns will be Private the Penguin. In order, he will sing 'Lord, Guard and Guide' for the Air Force, 'Eternal Father, Strong to Save' for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard and 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' for the Army. Private?"

Private, who was now on stage, accepted the mike from Roger. He was wearing an Air Force blue enlisted service cap, with a solid black brim and a silver encircled Seal of the United States mounted to the front. He was carrying two other hats, which he set down at the front of the stage. The crowd waited patiently and reverently. The band began to play slowly.

"Lord, guard and guide the men who fly Through the great spaces of the sky; Be with them traversing the air In darkening storms or sunshine fair. You who support with tender might The balanced birds in all their flight, Lord of the tempered winds, be near, That, having Thee, they know no fear. Control their minds with instinct fit When e'er adventuring they quit The firm securities of land; Grant steadfast eye and skillful hand. Aloft in solitudes of space, Uphold them with Thy saving grace. O God, protect the men who fly Through lonely ways beneath the sky. Aaaameeeen." Marlene stood, raising her paws in worship. Private removed the Air Force service cap and replaced it with a solid white Navy dixie cup hat as the music changed and the Navy hymn began. "Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm doth bind the restless wave, Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep, O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea! O Trinity, of love and power, Our brethren's' shield in danger's hour, Through rock and tempest fire and foe Protect them wheresoe'er they go, Thus ever let there rise to thee Glad praise from air and land and seeeeeaaa!" Skipper and Rico stood to their feet, praising God. As the music changed once more, Private removed the dixie cup hat and replaced it with a green enlisted Army service cap with a gold encircled Great Seal of the United States pinned to the front. "Mine eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; His Truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His Truth is marching on! I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps; They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps; His day is marching on! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on!" By now the rest of the audience was on their feet, singing at the top of their lungs. "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As He died to make man holy, let us die to make man free! While God is marching on! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God iiiiiiiissssss maaaaaarchiiiiing ooooooooon!" Private belted out the last lines as the music ended with a flourish. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. "Thank you all. You're too kind," Private said as he took a bow and backed up to allow Roger to take center stage.

"Thank you, Private," Roger began as he removed another microphone from its stand. "Well, God is good, Amen?" "Amen!" came the united response from the crowd. Roger continued, "Our next selection will be performed in honor of the five branches of our Armed Forces. Since the birth of our nation, the men and women of each branch have picked up their arms and laid down their lives to secure liberty for theirs and future generations. The soldiers of the United States Army have fought to secure liberty in close combat in such famous battles as Yorktown, Bulge, and Tora Bora. The sailors of the United States Navy have defended the free passage of American vessels on the high seas, and supported operations ashore, such as the no-fly zone over Libya last year. The marines of the United States Marine Corps have fought in some of the bloodiest battles in our nation's history, such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in which over 10,000 Americans were killed. The coastguardsmen of the United States Coast Guard have defended our borders from narcotics smuggling, saved lives in peace time, and supported naval operations in war time. And last but not least, the airmen of the United States Air Force have maintained complete air supremacy in U.S. airspace and over foreign battlefields, led the charge in the defeat against Nazi Germany through strategic bombardment, where over 60,000 aircrew died from the 8th Air Force alone, and won a major theatre war without the use of land or sea power in 1999 against Yugoslavia, a feat that neither land nor sea power can boast since the dawn of military aviation. We owe our very lives to the airmen, sailors, soldiers, marines, and coastguardsmen who have served our country. So here now, are Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private to perform the Armed Forces Medley!" The crowd applauded.

Down in the audience, Kowalski rushed up to where Marlene, Skipper, and Rico were sitting.

"Where have you been, soldier?" Skipper questioned. "We're on right now!"

"Sorry, Skipper," Kowalski apologized as he, Skipper, and Rico walked up to the stage. "I had to go missed approach twice because of strong crosswinds. I just got on the ground a minute ago."

"Fine," Skipper said, accepting his apology. "Do you have our covers?"

"Right here," Kowalski replied as he passed them out to the other two penguins.

The three climbed on stage, each grabbed a microphone, and stepped back to where Private stood as they waited for the music to start.

The band began to play, and after a brief instrumental intro from the horns, Skipper, wearing a green beret of the U.S. Army Special Forces with the eagle insignia of a full-bird Colonel pinned to the flash, stepped forward and began to sing. "First to fight for the right, And to build the Nation's might, And the Army goes rolling along! Proud of all we have done, fighting till the battle's won, and the Army goes rolling along! Then it's Hi! Hi! Hey! The Army's on its way. Count off the cadence loud and strooong! For where e'er we go, You will always know That the Army goes rolling alooong!"

Skipper stepped back and Kowalski stepped forward wearing a U.S. naval aviator khaki flight cap with the single silver bar insignia of a Lieutenant Junior Grade pinned to the left side. As the music changed, Kowalski began to sing. "Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh! Farewell to foreign shores, we sail at break of day-day-day-day! Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam. Until we meet once more, Here's wishing you a happy voyage hooome!"

Kowalski stepped back and Rico stepped forward wearing the 8-point cover of the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform with the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor embroidered on the front. As the music changed again, Rico began to sing. "From da halls of Motezuma, To da shores of Tripoli, We fight our country's battles In da air, on land, and sea! First to fight for right and freedom, And to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title, Of United States Mariiines!"

Rico stepped back and Private stepped forward wearing the dark blue ball cap of the Coast Guard Operational Dress Uniform with "U.S. Coast Guard" embroidered in gold block lettering on the front. As the music changed once more, Private began to sing. "We're always ready for the call, We place our trust in Thee. Through surf and storm and howling gale, High shall our purpose be! 'Semper Paratus' is our guide, Our fame, our glory, too. To fight to save or fight and die! Aye! Coast Guard, we are for yooouuu!"

Skipper, Kowalski and Rico stepped forward as all four penguins replaced their previous covers with Air Force blue flight caps. Skipper and Kowalski wore officer's flight caps with silver and blue braiding. Skipper wore the eagle insignia of a Colonel pinned to the left side of the cap while Kowalski wore the single silver bar insignia of a First Lieutenant. Rico and Private wore enlisted flight caps with solid blue braiding. As the music changed again one last time, the entire crowd was on its feet singing and clapping along with the music. The four penguins began to sing. "Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun!" The penguins pointed their microphones out into the crowd as the crowd pumped their fists into the air and shouted, "Give 'er the gun, hey!" The penguins pulled back their microphones and continued to sing. "Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar! We live in fame or go down in flame! Hey! Nothing will stop the Air Force! O, noooothing will stop the U.S. Aaaaiiiirrrr Foooorrrrce!" The music ended with a flourish. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. The penguins grinned and took a bow before placing their microphones on their stands and walked off stage.

"Thank you, penguins!" Roger said as he picked up a microphone and the crowd began to quiet down and take their seats. "Tonight we have honored the fighting spirit of all the airmen, sailors, soldiers, marines, and coastguardsmen who have served our country. But that fighting spirit comes at a price. We sometimes forget that underneath that uniform is a human being with the same struggles as any other human being. Tonight, to get a closer look at the man in the uniform, here is Kowalski with Toby Keith's American Soldier!" The crowd applauded as Kowalski accepted the microphone Roger handed him. He had replaced his flight cap with a WWII era olive drab infantryman's helmet. He took a deep breath and waited for the music to start. After a brief guitar strum, Kowalski began to sing.

"I'm just tryin' to be a father, raise a daughter and a son, Be a lover to their mother, everythin' to everyone, Up and at'em bright and early, I'm all business in my suit, Yeah I'm dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots, I don't do it for the money, there's bills that I can't pay, I don't do it for the glory, I just do it anyway, Providing for our future's, my responsibility, Hey I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be. I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekend's been too strong, I just work straight through the holidays, sometimes all night long. You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door. Hey I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core!" Many in the crowd began to tear up. "And I will always do my duty no matter what the price! I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice. Oh and I don't want to die for you, but if dyin's asked of me, I'll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don't come free. I'm an American soldier, an American! Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand When liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right. I'm out here on the front lines, so sleep in peace tonight. American soldier, I'm an American soldier!" Kowalski began to tear up a little himself as he waited through the guitar solo before he belted out the last few lines. "Yeah, an American soldier, an American! Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand When liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right. I'm out here on the front lines, so sleep in peace tonight. American Soldier, I'm an American, an American, an Americaaaan Soooldieeer!" The crowd stood to their feet and cheered as the guitar slowly faded away. Kowalski wiped away a tear, took a bow, and replaced the microphone.

"Thank you, Kowalski," Roger began, wiping his eye. "In recent years, many on the political left have begun to call for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Afghanistan. This has been going on for a while, but it has gained traction in recent months. Many in our country forget that even though Bin Laden is dead, America still has an enemy active in the world today in the form of radical Islam. Tonight, a few miles from the new World Trade Center, it is important that we remind ourselves why we have fought in the past and why we must continue to fight today. To remind us, here is Maurice with Darryl Worley's Have You Forgotten!" The crowd applauded as Maurice, carrying a guitar and wearing the service cap of an NYPD officer, accepted the microphone from Roger.

"Hey guys," Maurice began as he sat down on a stool in front of the microphone. "I know I wasn't in this country on 9/11, but after seeing news footage of the attacks, I can't imagine what you all must have been going through. And I want to thank you all for accepting me as a fellow American and a fellow New Yorker."

"Give 'em hell, Maurice!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Maurice smiled. "I intend to." He strummed his guitar a few times in preparation. Maurice then began to play and sing.

"I hear people saying we don't need this war. I say there's some things worth fighting for. What about our freedom and this piece of ground? We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down. They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in. Before you start your preaching Let me ask you this my friend. Have you forgotten how it felt that day To see your homeland under fire And her people blown away? Have you forgotten when those towers fell? We had neighbors still inside Going through a living hell. And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden. Have you forgotten?" Marlene leaned on Skipper's shoulder as she began to cry. Skipper and the other penguins were beginning to tear up too. Maurice continued. "They took all the footage off my TV. Said it's too disturbing for you and me. 'It'll just breed anger' that's what the experts say. If it was up to me I'd show it every day. Some say this country's just out looking for a fight. After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right. Have you forgotten how it felt that day To see your homeland under fire And her people blown away? Have you forgotten when those towers fell? We had neighbors still inside Going through a living hell. And you vowed to get the one's behind Bin Laden. Have you forgotten?" Maurice looked down at the four penguins as the snare drums began to play and he began the next verse. "I've been there with the soldiers Who've gone away to war. And you can bet they remember Just what they're fighting for!" Skipper nodded his head in agreement. "Have you forgotten all the people killed? Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field. Have you forgotten about our Pentagon? All the loved ones that we lost And those left to carry on. Don't you tell me not to worry about Bin Laden! Have you forgotten?" A brief guitar solo followed. "Have you forgotten?" Maurice continued to play the last few notes before singing, "Have you forgotten?" The crowd burst into applause as Maurice strummed the last note. "Thank you all. Thank you all very much!" he said as Roger came forward.

"Thank you, Maurice, that was touching," Roger began as a drum set and keyboard were brought on stage. "Tonight, we have seen the man behind the uniform and responded to those who favor appeasement. Now we will take a closer look at the fighting spirit of every patriot, every red-blooded citizen of this country. Please welcome the lemurs, Julien, Maurice, and Mort with Toby Keith's Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue!" The crowd applauded as the lemurs walked on stage wearing beige cowboy hats and the band struck up with Hail to the Chief.

The four penguins immediately sprung to their feet out of habit, but quickly sat back down annoyed when they realized it was just Julien. "Maurice, why are dey not all on deir feet in respect for deir king, which is me?" Julien whispered, visibly annoyed.

"Not now, your majesty!" Maurice whispered back as he took his place at the keyboard.

Julien sighed as he strapped on his electric guitar. "Fine, but we will need to be bringing dis up at da next meeting."

Hail to the Chief ended and Julien strummed his guitar a couple of times in preparation. He began to play slowly and Maurice began to sing.

"American girls and American guys, we'll always stand up and salute. We'll always recognize, when we see Ol' Glory flying, There's a lot of men dead, So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our heads." The music began to pick up as Maurice started on the keyboard and Mort on the drums. "My daddy served in the Army, well he lost his right eye, But he flew a flag out in our yard 'til the day that he died. He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister, and me To grow up and live happy in the land of the free. Now this nation that I love has fallin' under attack. A mighty sucker-punch came flying in from somewhere in the back. Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye, Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July!"

Julien picked up where Maurice left off. "Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at da top of his list, And da Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist! And da eagle will fly and it's gonna be heeell, When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell! And it'll feel like da whole wide world is rainin' down on you. Ah, brought to ya courtesy, of da red, white, and blue!" As Julien launched into the guitar solo, the crowd was on their feet, clapping along with the music and waving little American flags.

As the guitar solo ended and the music slowed a little, Mort began to sing. "Oh, justice will be served and da battle will rage. Dis big dog will fight when you rattle his cage! You'll be sorry dat you messed wit, da U.S. of Aaa." The crowd cheered as the music paused briefly. "'Cause we'll put a boot in your can, its' da American way!"

Julien picked up again. "Hey, Uncle Sam put your name at da top of his list, And da Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist! And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be heeell, When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell! And it'll feel like da whole wide world is rainin' down on you. Ah, brought to ya courtesy, of da red, white, and blue! Oh, oh! Of the red, white, and blue. Oh, hey, oh!." The three lemurs sang together on the last line. "Of-my-red-white-and-blue!" they sang as Julien played the last note and sparks shot up from either side of the flag behind them. The crowd went absolutely nuts. Even Skipper had to admit the lemurs had done good.

"Thank you, lemurs!" Roger began as the crowd began to settle back down. "Well, it's no secret that America has been very blessed over its 236 year history, in large part because for much of that time we have honored the Judeo-Christian values that our nation was founded upon. However, since the late 1960s and early 1970s we have begun to fall away from those guiding principles that we once held dear." Skipper and Marlene shouted "Amen!" almost simultaneously. Roger continued, "It is evident today that America is in the midst of a moral decline. Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, abortion, secularism, drug addiction, drunkenness, and a general lack of respect for authority have become rampant in our country in the last fifty years. But there is still hope. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read, 'If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.' Now, more than ever we must pray for a revival to sweep across our nation. Now, more than ever we must pray for God to Bless America." Roger turned and handed the microphone to Mort, who had exchanged his cowboy hat for the black flat-brimmed felt hat of an early 1800s frontier preacher.

As the band began to play slowly, Mort began to sing. "God bless America, Land dat I love! Stand beside her, and guide her Through da night wit a light from above. From da mountains, to da prairies, to da oceans, white wit foam! God bless America, my home sweet home!" Mort paused as the song entered an instrumental break. As he began to sing again, the animals stood to their feet and lifted their paws, flippers, and other appendages to God in prayer. "From da mountains, to da prairies, to da oceans, white wit foam! God bless America, my home sweet home! God bless America, my home sweet home!" As Mort sang the last lines, the music flared and snare drums began to play rapidly. "From da mountains, to da prairies, to da oceans, white wit foam! God bless America, my hooome sweeeeeet hooooome!" The crowd erupted into applause.

"Way to go, Mort!" Private yelled from the audience.

Mort smiled, bowed, replaced the microphone, and jumped off the stage.

"Thank you, Mort," Roger began as he picked up the microphone. He was now wearing a black hat with a silver buckle in front much like what one of the Pilgrim men would have worn in 1620. "When the Pilgrim's came to the New World in 1620, they had come to escape the religious persecution that they had endured in England. The Church of England dictated the methods by which every British subject worshiped God. That is why, when our Constitution was written 170 years later, our Founding Fathers provided that all American citizens may worship God however they choose without the fear of a king dictating their lives. We often forget how good we have it in this country, and sometimes it takes such a simple song to remind us of that." Roger nodded to the band indicating he was ready. The band began to play My Country, 'Tis of Thee and Roger began to sing.

"My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the pilgrims' pride, From every mountainside Let freedom ring."

Julien, who was sitting in the row behind the penguins, tapped Kowalski on the shoulder and asked, "I thought you said dat the emcee cannot be singing?"

"Forgive me, I lied," Kowalski replied with a smirk on his face as he turned back to the stage. Skipper stood and began to sing along.

"My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills Like that above." By now, Marlene and other animals were beginning to stand and sing. "Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom's song; Let mortal tongues awake; Let all that breathe partake; Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong." By now all the animals were on their feet with arms raised in worship as they belted out the powerful lines of the last verse. "Our father's God, to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedom's holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Greeeaaat God, our Kiiiinnnng!" The crowd burst into applause as the last note faded away. "Thank you, thank you very much!" Roger said as he took a bow.

"Our next selection," Roger continued, "was written in 1904, but became immensely popular with the troops during World War II. It was especially popular with the bomber crews of the U.S. 8th Air Force, who imagined themselves as Yankee Doodle and their airplanes as the ponies they were coming to London to ride. Tonight, please welcome Marlene the Otter and Skipper the Penguin with George M. Cohan's Yankee Doodle Boy!" The audience applauded as the couple made their way to the stage.

"Are you ready for this?" Skipper asked as he and Marlene put on the red, white, and blue top hats they would be wearing.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Marlene replied.

"Don't sweat it sister, you'll be fine," Skipper said with a grin.

"Thanks, Skippy," she grinned back as they walked on stage. Picking up her microphone and turning to the crowd, she said, "Before we begin tonight, I'd just like to dedicate this song to my father and the American airman who saved his life. It's a long story, so if you want to hear about it, come see me after the show."

Seeing she was done, Skipper nodded to the band indicating they were ready. The music start with a flute intro, and then Marlene began to sing. "I'm the kid that's all the candy, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, I'm glad I am,"

"So's Uncle Sam!" Skipper sang.

Marlene continued, "I'm a real live Yankee Doodle, Made my name and fame and boodle, Just like Mister Doodle did, by riding on a pony.

"I love to listen to the Dixie strain!" Skipper and Marlene sang together.

"I long to see the friend I left behind me; That ain't a josh," Marlene sang.

"She's a Yankee, by gosh!" Skipper continued.

"Oh, say can you see," Skipper and Marlene sang.

"Anything about a Yankee that's a phony?" Marlene sang as she finished the verse.

There was a short instrumental break and then Skipper began to sing the chorus. "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, A Yankee Doodle, do or die; A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam, Born on the Fourth of July!" Skipper turned to face Marlene as he continued, "I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart, She's my Yankee Doodle joy!"

Skipper turned back to the crowd as he and Marlene sang, "Yankee Doodle came to London, just to ride the ponies;"

"I am the Yankee Doodle Boy!" Skipper finished.

There was another short instrumental break and then Marlene began to sing. "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, A Yankee Doodle, do or die; A real live niece of my Uncle Sam, Born on the Fourth of July!" Marlene turned to face Skipper as she continued, "I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart, He's my Yankee Doodle joy!"

Marlene turned back to the crowd as she and Skipper sang, "Yankee Doodle came to London, just to ride the ponies;"

"I am the Yankee Doodle Gal!" Marlene finished.

The crowd was now on their feet singing and waving their small American flags as Skipper and Marlene met at center stage and put their arms over each other's shoulders as they sang the chorus together. "We're all Yankee Doodle Dandies, Yankee Doodles, do or die; Real live nephews of our Uncle Sam, Born on the Fourth of July! We've all got Yankee Doodle sweethearts, They're our Yankee Doodle joy! Yankee Doodle came to London, just to ride the ponies; We're all Yankee Doodle boys! Yankee Doodle came to London, just to ride the ponies; We're aaaallll Yaaankee Doodle boooooooys!" they sang as the song ended with a flourish. The crowd applauded as Skipper and Marlene took a bow.

Skipper handed Roger his microphone as he walked off stage and Marlene stepped back. "Thank you Skipper and Marlene," Roger began. "Our final selection tonight portrays the beauty of America like no other song could. It was inspired by the sights seen by Katherine Lee Bates during a train trip across the country to Pike's Peak in Colorado in 1893. Since it was written, it has only grown in popularity and has even been proposed as a replacement for the Star-Spangled Banner as our national anthem. Here now, is Marlene the Otter to perform America, the Beautiful!" The audience applauded as Marlene stepped forward, now wearing the bonnet of a typical frontier wife of the mid-to-late 1800s. She nodded to the band and began to sing as the music started.

"O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining seeaa!" She looked down at the four penguins as she sang the last verse. "O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness And every gain diviinne!" She looked back out at the whole crowd as she belted the last lines. "Ameerica! Ameeerica! God shed His grace on theeeee, And crooown thy good with broootherhood From seeeeaaaa tooooooo shiiiiiiiniiiiiiing seeeaaaa!" The crowd burst into cheers, waving their flags as sparks shot up once more from either side of the flag behind her. Grinning, she looked down at Skipper, who smiled at her and nodded. She pointed at him, as if to say, "Couldn't have done it without you!" He shook his head and pointed back at her, as if to say, "No, that was all you!" She let her paw fall to her side and took a bow. She handed the microphone to Roger, leapt off the stage, and ran to Skipper who hugger her before giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Well, that's it for us tonight," Roger said up on stage. "I hope you enjoyed it, and I see it's almost 9:30 now, so you all are welcome to stay and watch the fireworks from _U.S.S. Intrepid_. Happy Independence Day everyone! Good night and God bless!" The crowd cheered as they made their way over to the zoo wall to get a better view.

**Central Park Zoo Wall, 4 July 2012, 2140 hours**

Marlene was leaning against Skipper's chest as they watched the fireworks. Skipper's arm was over her shoulder, and she was wearing his Air Force blue flight cap.

"You did very well tonight Marlene," Skipper said. "Your dad would be proud. I know I am."

"Thanks, Skipper, you don't know how much that means to me," Marlene said as she smiled up at him. Skipper smiled back down at her before they both turned back to the fireworks. A few minutes later Marlene turned to look back up at Skipper.

"I love you, Skipper," said Marlene.

"I love you too, Marlene," Skipper said as he kissed her lips.

Marlene smiled as she buried her head deeper in his chest, careful not to disturb the flight cap. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. She truly had been blessed. A loving God, a free country, and knowing the man she loved, loved her. Yes, all was right with her world.

Soon, Marlene's eyes began to feel very tired as the events of the day began to catch up with her exhausted mind. "I'll just rest my eyes for a minute," she thought to herself as she let her eyes close slowly.

A few minutes later, Marlene's snoring caught Skipper's ear and he looked down to see she had fallen fast asleep. He smiled as he carefully pulled himself out from underneath her, picked her up, and carried her back to her habitat.

**Otter Habitat Cave, 4 July 2012, 2155 hours**

Skipper gently laid Marlene's sleeping form on her popcorn bed and removed his flight cap from her head, laying it on the bed next to her. He reached down to the foot of the bed and pulled the covers over her. When he went to pick up his flight cap and head back to the HQ, he saw that she had rolled over in her sleep and was now gripping his flight cap to her chest fiercely, like a child might hold onto a stuffed animal. Skipper smiled and decided to let her hold onto it for tonight. He kissed her lips gently and turned to walk out of the cave. He paused when he reached the entryway and turned back to look at her one last time. "Happy Independence Day, Marlene," he whispered with a smile before turning to walk back to the HQ.

**GOD BLESS AMERICA**

Authors Note: Well, that's it. I hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry it was a little long, but I just got the idea a couple of weeks ago and I didn't want to put part of it up without having it completely done and I just finished it yesterday, the 3d of July. If you have any questions at all about what you just read, don't hesitate to ask. Other than that, review if you like, may God bless you all, and have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!


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